The announcement of the Mayor’s intention to put forward an amended motion to sell Blue Haven Bonaira surprised all, with some councillors first hearing about it through The Bugle.

The proposal to retain Blue Haven Terralong is being greeted with cautious optimism by John Ashworth, who has played a leading role in opposing the sale of the whole of Blue Haven through his role as the Chair of the Blue Haven Terralong Residents Committee and the Save Blue Haven action group.

“It is very encouraging news for the residents of Blue Haven Terralong,” he says.

“From the start we have campaigned to save our homes from being sold and this is certainly a step in the right direction. It is unfortunate that Bonaira may have to be sold as it could become profitable in the longer term.

“However, we understand the financial difficulty the Kiama Council is currently in and they don’t have many options.” 

Blue Haven protesters before an earlier Council meeting

Pam Marsh, Chair of the Blue Haven Bonaira Residents Committee, wonders how much Council has looked into all the possible options.

“I’m shocked because this solution has come so suddenly, and I wonder how much they have looked into all the options,” she says.

“I would like to think that an in-depth explanation of the options will be released before this decision is made.

“We don’t know whether they have all been fully investigated or not.”

Rudi Oppitz, an organiser for the United Services Union which is opposing the sale of Blue Haven, questions Mayor Reilly’s approach of publicising his intent without releasing the motion itself.

“It would appear to me that council is going down the line of not appropriately consulting, not appropriately being transparent and foisting something on the community that they don’t have the opportunity to participate in or contribute to,” he says.

Rudi Oppitz (right), with Arthur Rossis, Secretary of the South Coast Labour Council and Stuart Geddes of the United Services Union, prior to the September Council Meeting

Councillor Karen Renkema-Lang is frustrated by the way that council has got to this point, and the angst and division it has caused within the community.

“Council is making hugely important decisions that will impact the lives of members of our community for many years to come. I am becoming increasingly concerned that community members and councillors are not being adequately consulted prior to the release of some news articles,” she says.

“Our role as councillors is to ensure we consider all advice received from advisory committees and are transparent in making decisions, so that the decisions we make are well-thought out and backed by sound evidence.

“The lack of sound business cases and risk management in the past has contributed to the current state of the organisation.”

The Blue Haven Bonaira show apartment

Councillor Kathy Rice doesn’t see how the timing of the extraordinary meeting, only three business days before the ordinary meeting, helps anyone and why the rush is necessary.

“We don’t have the full reports that we asked for on the options, and this seems to be pushing forward to make the decision to sell Blue Haven Bonaira before those business plans have been provided to us,” she says.

“We are again being asked to make a decision that isn’t fully informed.

“Blue Haven Bonaira can’t be sold until 2024 anyway, so why the hurry?”

Her last point refers to the land not being able to be sold until five years after it was purchased from NSW Health and the need to reclassify the land from community to operational.

All are looking forward to seeing the wording of the motion.